Method of and apparatus for the recovery of matter from wells



Nov. 8, 1932. K. KELLEY E1' AL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE RECOVERY 0F MATTER FROM WELLS Filed Jan. 2.3. 19,31

IN VEN TORS A TTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 8, 1932 l UNITED 'STATES PATENT' OFFICE' f EIRKLA'ND KELLEAZ, OE HOUSTON, TEXAS, AND SAMUEL LOUISIANA J.- PEBKINS, -OE SuLrnUn,

METHOD OE AND APPARATUS Eon THE RECOVERY or MATTER EnOM WELLS Application led January 23,1931. Serial No. 510,613.

This invention relates tormethods of and apparatuses for the recovery of matter from wells.

It has for its principal Specific object the 5 provision of a ne'w and improved method and apparatus for use in the recovery of heavy and practically solid oils that will not flow naturally from wells.

Other objects will hereinafter appear. In the drawing, which is illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention,

` Figsfl, 2 and 3' are fragmentary and -partly sectional side elevations of the upper, inter-- mediate and lower portions thereof, .respecmatic view illustrating the movement of a heating fluid and the gas and -oil recovered.

exit pipe 3.

The fluid entrance pipe 1 is closed land sealed atzits upper end on the liquid exit pipe l-by any Suitable means such as that shown at 4.. At the lower end of the fluid Y entrance pipe 1 are outlet openin-gs 5.

The liquid exit pipe 2 is closed and sealed 'at its upper end-by packing 6 throu h which the rod of a plunger .hereinafter re erred to reciprocate's.

,The 'lower ends of fluid entrancepipe 1 and liquid-exit pipe 2 are connected to a bypassing device which has a central. longi- -tudinal bore 8. constituting an extension of liquid exit pipe 2; longitudinal ducts 9 constituting an extension of iuid entrance pipe 1; and longitudinal slots 10 constituting inlet openings for .theliquid exit pipe 2. In the lowerend of this device is a plug 11 whereby the lower end offluid `exit pipe 2 is sealed so that iuid cannot move upwardly.

thereinto froml the lower extremity of fluid 'entrance pipe 1.y

The upper end of gas exit pipe 3 is closed and sealedon fluid entrance pipel by any suitable means such as that shownlat 12. The lowerzend of this gas exit pipe 3 is also closed,

as the collar 13. on by-pass device 7 rests upon a ring 14 which is threadedin the cou- 0 pling 15. In the side of the gas exit pipe tively.; Fig. 4, -a horizontal section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5, a diagram# The apparatus shown includes a .fluid entrance pipel, a liquid exit pipe 2, and agas vthe well. i

3 are a plurality of inlet openings 16 which -are at some distance above the Outlet'openings 5 of fluid entrance pipe 1.

'To protect the lower end of fluid entrance pipe -1, a cylindrical shoe 17, perforated as' indicated at 18, may be connected by coupling 15 to gas exit pipe 3.

lA' pump to force fluid downwardly throughv the fluid entrance pipe 1 is indicated at 19; E

i of liquid exit pipe 2 and gas exit pipe 3 are and valves to control the flow of fluid out indicated at 20 and 21, respectlvely. A

plunger 22 is disposed within the upper portion Of'l-iquid exit pipe 2 and may be recip- -rocated bythe rod 23 to draw liquid out o'f said pipe?.

kThe method of recovering gas and oils that are normally heavy and practically solid will now be described The apparatus is lowered into the well un- The upper portion of the gas exit pipe 3, and thatl part of the apparatus thereabove, will then be above the surface of the earth.

To seal the space between the gas exit pipe 3 and the wall of the`well,the gas exit pipe 3 may be cemented in the well at a point imtil the Outlet openings 5 of the iuid entrance l pipe 1 are at the base of the oil bearing sands.

mediately above its inlet openings 16. After`- thisis done, no fluid can pass about said pipe downwardly toward or upwardly from said inlet openings., Most formations, however, will move inwardly to snugly engage the pipe 3 and practically seal it inthe well, so that 'l it will seldom 'The valves 20 and 21 having been closed to prevent escape of oil or gas` from liquid exit pipe 2 and gas exit pipe 3, superheated water, which'may be weightedwith sodium hydroxide, soda ash,'m`ud or the like, is then drawn by the pump 19 from any source, not shown, vand forced into 'the iiuid entrance pipe inlet 24 The water will pass downwardly in the annular space between the fluid inlet pipe 1 and the liquid exit pipe 2, through ducts 9 and finally out of outlet 5 and through theperforations 18 of shoe 17. The fluid will move laterally and upwardly into the formation, and into Contact with the Solid oil.

The amount and temperature of the iuid required to penetrate'the formation and melt the oil will, of course, depend upon the composition of the formation encountered. After a sufficient quantity of heating iuid hasbeen pumped into the well to melt and lighten the oil, the oil will move upwardlyuntil the gas, oil, and water surrounding the apparatus move substantially into the relative positions indicated by Fig. 5,'in which the gas is shown at 25, the melted oil at 26, and the water at 27. The pump may then be stopped.

If the necessary temperature and quantity of the water are accurately predetermined, and if there is sufficient pressure in the well, when the valves 20 and 21 are opened oil and gas will flow into the gas exit pi e 3 through the perforations 16. The gas will move upwardly in the annular space between the gas exit pipe 3 and the fluid entrance pipe 1 and outwardly through the valve 21. The oil will iiow downwardly between the gas exit pipe 3 and fluid entrance pipe 1, through slots 10 upwardly in bore 8, upwardly through fluid exit pipe 2 and finally out through valve 20.

The unbroken arrows in the .drawing indicate the fiow of the water; the broken arrows, the flow of the melted oil; and the dotted arrows, the flow of the gas. v

If gas' issues from gas exit pipe 3, but no oil rises in liquid exit pipe 2, the plunger 22 may be reciprocated by the rod 23 to draw the oil upwardly through liquid exit pipe 2.

By manipulating valves 20 and 21, theop-r erator can ascertain and change to some extent the relative quantities of gas, oil and water, and the pressure thereon below. For example, if gas moves upwardly in both gas exit pipe 3 and liquidV exit pipe 2, this will 'indicate that there is so much confined gas in thewell that the melted oil cannot move upwardly about the pipe 3 to the inlet openings 16. Valve 20 may then be closed and valve 21 kept open until enough gas has escaped to permit the melted oil to move up-- wardly until it reaches the inlet openings 16, when the valve 20 may be opened to perinit the oil to flow upwardly and out of liquid em't pipe 2. If water comes upwardly through liquid exitpipe 2 or gas exit pipe 3,

this may bedue to incomplete melting'of the oil, and both valves 20 and 21 should then be closed to give the water more time within I ,which to melt the oil.

,Various other uses of the valves 20 and 21 will be apparent to those skilled in the art. As the water isV passed through, but not in contact with the gas and oil, and is forced intovcontact only with the lower portion of the oil, and as the oil and gas are carefull skimmed of,1the gas, oil and water are e ciently separated as indicated by Fig. 5, and this separation is never disturbed by'additional water pumped into the well.

It is to be understood that any heating fluid other than water may be employed; various changes may be made in the apparatus; and the method and apparatus may be used to recover matter other than gas and heavy,

solid oi1s-all without departing from the' scqpe of the following claims.

e claim:

1. The method of recovering matter from a well, which consists in passing a fluid heavier than said matter l'substantially through said matter but not in contact therewith, forcing said Huid into contact with the lower portion of said matter, and skimming off said mat- ,y

iuid into contact with the lower portion of said oil, skimming olf said gas and oil, and

`conducting said gas and oil separately from the well.

4. The method of recovering froma well oil that is normally substantially solid and heavier than a certain heating fluid, which consists in passing said fluid substantially through said oil but not in contact with said oil, forcing said fluid into contact with the lower portion of said oil 'until said oil is melted and lighter than said fluid, and skimming oil' said o il while itis in the well.

5. The method ofrecovering from a well gas, and oil that is normally substantially solid and heavier than a certain heating fluid, which consists in passing said fluid substantially through said gas and oil but not in contact therewith, forcing said fluid into contact with the lower portion of said oil, until said oil is melted and lighter than said Huid, skimming of said gas and oil, and conducting said gas and oil separately from the well.

6. In a well apparatus, an entrance pipe having an outlet, and an exit pipe within but not in communication with said entrance said outlet.

7. In a well apparatus, a fluid entrance pipe Ameans to control the ilow of gas and liquid through said exit pipes.

laf

9. In a well apparatus, a gas exit pi having an inlet, a fluid entrance pipe witg said gas exit pipe and having an outlet below the inlet of said as exit pipe, and al liquid exit pipe within ut not in communication with said fluid entrance pipo, said liquid exit pipe having an inlet above the outlet of said fluid entrance pipe, and communicating with the inlet of said gas exit pipe.

10. In a well apparatus, a gas exit pipe having an inlet, a fluid entrance pipe withln said gas exit pipe and having an outlet below the inlet of said gas exit pipe, and a liquid exit pipe within but not in communication with said fluid entrance pipe, said liquid exit pipe having an inlet above the outlet of said fluid entrance pipe, and below and in communication with the inlet of said gas exit 11. In a well apparatus, a gas exit pipe Y having an inlet, a fluid entrance pipe wlthin .said gas exit pipe and having an outlet below the outlet of said gas exit pipe, a liquid exit pipe within but not in communication with said fluid entrance pipe, said liquid exit pipe having an inlet above the outlet of said fluid entrance pipe, and communicating with the inlet of said gas exit pipe, and means to controlthe How-of gas and liquid through said exit pipes.

l2. In a well apparatus, a gas exit pipe having an inlet, a fluid entrance pipe within said gas exit pipe and having an outlet below the outlet of said gas exit pipe, a liquid exit pipe within but not in communication with said'lluid entrance pipe, said liquid exit pipe having an inlet above the outlet of said fluid entrance pipe, and communicating with the inlet of said gas exit pipe, means to force 40 iiuid downwardly through said entrance pipe, and means to draw liqu1d upwardly through saidli uid exit pipe.

13. n a well apparatus. a gas exit pipe having an inlet, a fluid entrance pipe withln l5 said gas exit pipe and having an outlet below the outlet of said gas exit pipe, a liquid exit pipe within but not in communication with said iuid entrance pipe, said liquid exit pipe having an inlet above the outlet of said fluid p entrance pipe, and communicating with the inlet of said gas exit pipe, vmeans to force fluid downwardly through said entrance pipe, and means to control the flow of gas and liquid. through said exit pipes.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto aflix our signatures.

KIRKLAND KELLEY. SAMUEL J. PERKINS. 

